Vaddey Ratner’s debut novel is being widely hailed as a new classic, likened to Loung Ung’s memoir, First They Killed My Father and another excellent debut from earlier this year, Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron. It seems likely to end up on summer reading lists and classroom syllabi. Accordingly, Simon & Schuster has provided a […]

What teen is going to sit down and read a 656-page biography?? Well, I have to tell you, Steve Jobs is one of the most-requested nonfiction books in my library this year. Just yesterday, walking down the hall, a teacher asked if the library owned it. Sitting at my desk about half an hour later, […]

The Infernals is published as a young adult novel under a different title (Hell’s Bells) in the U.K. It is the second in a series, following The Gates (which is lucky enough to be published under the same title on both sides of the pond). Much was made in the U.K. of John Connelly’s switch to […]

Only two month ago I posted a review of The Women of the Cousins’ War, the nonfiction book Philippa Gregory shared with historians David Baldwin and Michael Jones. Now she releases a novel based on the life of Jacquetta, one of the women featured there. The Lady of the Rivers has many teen elements, from […]

Alice Hoffman’s new novel is, overall, a departure for the popular author which nevertheless retains her favorite elements. The Dovekeepers is weighty historical fiction that features strong women and a touch of magic. It centers on the Roman siege and tragedy at Masada 2,000 years ago, told in the voices of four women who tend the doves […]

Jaycee Dugard’s memoir was an instant bestseller, and its teen appeal is obvious — Dugard was a teen for half of the time she was in captivity, and teens enjoy reading sensational, true stories. It is especially haunting that writing a bestselling book was on a list of goals she made while in captivity. Also […]

About Adult Books 4 Teens

The Adult Books 4 Teens blog was created to help librarians who work with teenagers find the best books published for the adult market that have appeal to teen readers. We provide recommendations and reviews, commentary and news about titles in all genres and formats: narrative nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels, thrillers and mysteries, memoirs, fantasy and science fiction, contemporary realism, arts and crafts and more.

With very few exceptions, only positive reviews will be published, so the appearance of a review should be considered a recommendation.

Angela Carstensen is Head Librarian at Convent of the Sacred Heart, a
> K-12 private girls school in New York City. Contact her via Twitter @AngeReads.

Mark Flowers is the Young Adult Librarian at John F. Kennedy Library in Vallejo, CA, a branch of the Solano County Library. Contact him via Twitter @droogmark.